What's Hidden in the Barn of Our Life?

I had this dream and after a few minutes I got up and wrote it down while it was still fresh in my mind. My brother and I were putting some tools in my car. We were going somewhere to do some work. There were two hammers, some screwdrivers, saws and some other tools in a small cardboard box. Then my brother handed me a new level and said, "Here, we might need this level". Then a friend walked over to me and my brother and asked, "Do you really think you guys are going to need that level?" (The level is the standard of the world to build natural things on a plane with it; i.e., in agreement with it. However, Father is going beyond our worldly understanding to build hidden spiritual things that are on a plane with His Kingdom. (1Sa.16:7) ... man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.) We both agreed that it could be needed, so we would just take it along. Our friend hugged both of us and said, "I'm praying for you guys to be safe and hurry back". We got in the car and drove off down the road.

We had been driving for many miles and then drove over a big mountain. (The big mountain here represents the Kingdom of God and a place of far-reaching vision.) As we got on the top and leveled out, we could see some old, old buildings just up ahead on the right. (The sheep go to the right.) So my brother said to me, "Let's stop and look around, but we can't stay very long". He pulled over and parked the car about 30 feet from an old barn and we got out. As we got to the opening of the barn, we could see eight new 6x6 beams, where someone had replaced the old beams. (The support of the barn is 6X6, representing our humanity and 8 represents Jesus, who is sown in and uses our humanity to bring forth fruit. Jesus' name in Greek equals 888 in gematria. It is fitting that Jesus would be the strength of the barn of our natural life to hold it together.) The roof of the barn seemed to be the original roof in fairly good condition. (The roof is the barn's "original" shield of faith, which protects it from the heat of the Sun and the storms of life.) As we entered into the barn, there were some very old boards on the floor. They were two inches thick and each board was 12 inches wide with a half-inch space between each board. It had to be the original old flooring. (Representing the "original" walk in the steps of Jesus.) There were a few cracks and some holes in some of them. Looking down through the cracks and holes, we could see parts of the foundation and it looked strong. We saw very large stones upon other very large stones (representing the foundation of the solid Rocks of the Word) with concrete holding them together. (Jesus in Paul laid such a foundation in the lives of the believers. (1Co.3:10) According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. He is the Word we must be founded on.)

Now looking all the way through the barn from where we were standing were some other types of buildings and they reminded me of an old western town. There were eight buildings side by side with a long wooden-plank walkway in front connecting all the buildings together, but each building had its own roof. (These 8 buildings are the local Body of Jesus, which Linda belongs to. They are connected as one in Him, yet each with their own faith or roof. {Eph.2:19} So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, {20} being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; {21} in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; {22} in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.) We had to walk on through the barn to go see those other buildings.

When we walked out of the barn, there was a man standing outside (Jesus). My brother, not seeing the man, walked on, going to look at the other buildings. But the man standing outside spoke to me and said, "Well, you finally got here", and he smiled. I asked him, "What do you mean, sir?" He replied, "You've come a long way. You are going to look at this barn I'm working on, aren't you?"

"Well, sir, I already have, sir, but I do have some questions, if it would be ok to ask you, sir".

"Sure, go ahead and ask me".

"Well, sir, why did you leave all those old boards on the floor?" He smiled and said, "They hold the past history of the barn and I wanted to show the people who came by here, so they can see the hardships the barn has been through". (The saints will suffer for righteousness' sake.)

"Yes, sir, but these old flooring boards have holes and missing pieces in the boards, leaving cracks and holes all through the floor".

"Yes, I know", he said. "Even in your walk through your own life there were good times and bad times, things and places you remember. And then there are those holes or missing pieces in your mind of places, things and times that you don't remember, but they are all there in your mind stored away". (And God can bring them to remembrance or just use them subconsciously in our daily walk.) "Yes, sir", I smiled and said. "I guess you're right".

Then he said, "If we look, we can see through the holes in the floor and see some of the foundation. The owner of this barn has built on this strong, solid foundation". (Our Father is the owner.)

"Oh, yes, sir, I can see the foundation; but, sir, why is it dug out under the barn like a basement, sir?" He smiled and said, "That is the root cellar where the owner can store and keep canned food, cheese and grain for bread, provisions for winter times and hard times. (Spiritual food that is preserved in our hearts for God to use in tribulations. Good roots make a healthy plant.) It is kept down there where it's always cool to support a healthy life and healthy bodies. Kept and stored each year for many years. It's just like when you read and study the word of God; the word will always be there to nourish your spirit, soul and body, and to support you in your walk with the Lord".

"Yes, sir, I believe that". He smiled and said, "Now, the owner of this barn has good soil here to build on and a strong foundation making the whole barn strong". (The barn which is used for a harvest is supported by the spiritual food of the Word, its roots.)

Then I asked him, "What about all the new beams and the new lumber on the walls that you've put in? Won't that take away from the original old look of the barn, sir?"

"Oh, no! The beams and the lumber are also barn wood that will quickly turn gray like the original wood. I used them to restore the barn for the future use of the barn. I have made this barn stronger and more usable to store and to keep the new wine in this barn (the new wine skin for the new wine of the life of Christ), for the one who owns this barn. (The Father, Who has "kept the best wine for last". The time of the manifestation of the Sons of God.) I have restored and made this barn strong by my own will as it pleased me. (This identifies Jesus as the carpenter of this barn. {Jas.1:18} Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ... {1Co.12:18} But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.)

"Yes, sir, I believe you are the true craftsman, sir".

Now, as I was looking one more time at the inside of the barn, I saw for the first time that there was lots of detail work in his artwork; in all the woodwork such beautiful craftsmanship all around. (Jesus is doing a good job. From the world's perspective, on the outside, it's a barn like any other barn, but from Father's perspective, on the inside, it's a temple.) There was light shining throughout the whole inside of the barn. (The light of the Word of life in man, Jesus. {Joh.1:1} In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} The same was in the beginning with God. {3} All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. {4} In him was life; and the life was the light of men. {5} And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.)

The light was giving off a crisp, clean glow and there was a feeling of love, joy and peace in this beautiful, peaceful environment. (The life of Jesus on the inside of the barn.) Then, as we stepped out of the barn, I looked up at the outside of the barn and it was just that natural, old gray barn. (According to Romans 8, the whole creation is awaiting the "revealing of the Sons of God" and all the while they are hidden in plain old flesh, just like their prototype, Jesus, was.) Then my brother was back at the car and he was calling out to me to, "Come on. We need to be going on our way now". I turned to the man with whom I had been talking and said to him, "Sir, it was so great talking with you and thank you so very much, sir, for taking time to show me and to explain to me all about your barn, sir". And he smiled and said, "Oh! But this is your barn I'm working on". {Joh.14:1} Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also... {1Co.2:9} but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And [which] entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.)

I was so humbled by the words he spoke. I began crying and crying because the words he spoke were blessing me. And I woke up. My face was wet with tears and I was still weeping. Thank you, Lord, for this dream. (This is a great promise for Linda and others that the Lord is doing wondrous hidden things that we can't see or imagine in our life. Many times we just see the old barn from the outside and the holes in the floor. Keep on believing for the finished work of the hidden man of the heart and don't worry about what the natural man looks like. {1Pe.3:3} Whose [adorning] let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; {4} but [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible [apparel] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (1Co.4:5) Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.)

Walk by faith and not by sight. The farmer doesn't dig up the plant every few days to make sure there is progress. The woman doesn't get an ultrasound every day to see if the fruit is in the womb. Like the plant, the baby Jesus must mature in the unseen parts of us before He is manifested before men. {Jas.1:22} But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. {23} For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: {24} for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. ... {2Co.3:18} But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Barn of Our Life
Charles Smith (Linda's brother) - 07/06/2012
(David's notes in red)

In the dream, I was suddenly standing in a wooded area, on a narrow, smooth dirt road about 8-10 feet wide. Straight before me was a much smaller dirt road about 4-5 feet wide, going through some woods. (The way gets ever narrower to constrict us into the walk of Jesus.) The road was level and smooth as it gradually went up to a small hill. As I walked up the narrow road, I saw through the trees a large structure or building. As I followed the narrow road around the trees, I saw that the building was a very old barn. (Just like Linda's barn.) The way the barn was built, that is, its structure was different from any barn I had seen before. I was looking at the left end and back side of the barn. Walking around the left side of the barn, I came facing the front side of the barn. I saw a large door opening, about 10 feet wide, with double doors open to the outside. The barn was built with very large timbers and heavy beams. (Just like Linda's barn, in which Jesus was the beams.) The outer walls were of wide planks, each plank being about 18 inches wide, standing upright. Suddenly, I thought, I hope no one is here; they may not want me looking around.

Then, as I began looking at the surroundings, I saw tall, huge trees, some about six feet in circumference, and more than 120-150 feet tall. Not seeing anything like this before, I stopped and asked myself, Where am I? I realized that this place was somewhere else, it was very different. It was so tranquil, so very quiet, no distractions, no noise of any kind, except for an occasional songbird singing in the distance. No planes overhead, not anything -- totally quiet. I found myself being filled with great and total peace, total rest and a sense of being totally safe here. Every fiber of my being (spirit, soul, body) was at peace and rest, something I had once experienced when I was "born again". I thought, I must tell Linda and we will come here and live.

While looking at the barn and its surroundings, wondering who might live here, my head slowly turned to my left and I saw a very old, fairly large two-story house a short way from the barn, maybe 150 feet away. The old house was very beautiful, with its grounds, its huge, tall trees and dark green tall grass that was about four inches tall. It was immaculate, very well kept. There was clearly a lot of thought and detail put into the architecture of this house. I had seen older homes somewhat similar, from the Civil War years, but, friend, nothing I had ever seen could compare to this house. It was very different. Looking toward the front of the house, I saw that the house was built with wood lapboard about six inches wide running from side to side. The house also had a 12-pitch roof and a small front porch about 6x6 feet, with two steps coming off the porch down to a narrow dirt walkway or path that was maybe 12-14 inches wide. The walkway leaving the porch and crossing the yard in a straight path ended at the narrow road or driveway out front. Matthew 7:14 came to me: "Because narrow the gate, and straitened the way (like walkway) that leadeth unto the life, and few are they that find it". Also Luke 3:4-6: "A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,... and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God". Read Isaiah 40:3-5, verse 5: "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it".

Also, the narrow path not only was it straight, but like the narrow road was smooth. There is something else I would like to share about this house that stood out to me. It was the windows. The windows on this fairly large house were really narrow, about two feet wide by five or six feet tall.

As I stood studying this house and its surroundings (I was still standing on the narrow road in front of the house), I saw a man coming from the barn, leading a horse. The man passed by in front of me leading the horse down the narrow road. (The spiritual man leading the harnessed beast of flesh out of the barn of our life and down the narrow road of truth and righteousness.) I was waiting for the man to speak, but he did not; he just kept his eyes straight ahead and went on. I was standing there watching when my attention was drawn back to the house. The house was now the center of attention. From the house, I saw a young woman, perhaps mid-20s in age, coming off the front porch and down the dirt path walkway to the road where I was standing. She walked by to my right and went on. What seemed to be about two minutes later, there came two young boys, maybe 11 or 12 years old, walking together on this narrow road. They walked past and in front of me and kept walking. No greeting or anything. I followed the boys with my eyes as they walked past me down the road. Two things caught my eye: 1) The boys each wore long-sleeve shirts with pants rolled up below the knees and were barefoot; 2) the boy on the far side, the right side of the road, had a small stick or pole about four feet long on his right shoulder with a pail hanging at the end of the pole or stick.

I thought, Where are they going, this man leading the horse, the young woman, and the two boys; where have they gone? While standing in the same place, on the narrow road, what seemed to be maybe two or three minutes, my attention again was drawn to the house. This time I saw a young woman, young yet older than the first woman. She looked about mid-30s in age. Both women wore long dresses with long sleeves from the neck down to about two inches from the toes of their shoes. She came out of the house, stepped off the porch and came down the small path to the narrow road where I was standing. She walked up to me, smiling and with a glow on her face and nodding her head. She communicated with me, but not with her mouth. In fact, her mouth never moved, but yet she spoke to me. We communicated! I asked the woman, "This house and barn, they are so old. Were they built during the time of the Civil War?" I asked her this because the house and barn were indeed very old but very beautiful. They had to have been around for a while. I had never seen structures like this before. So I told her they looked in some ways like they had come from this time period. The woman smiled and answered, "Oh, no. This house and barn were long before the Civil War".

I told the woman, "I have never seen buildings like these buildings; I have never seen a place like this place, full of beauty, so peaceful and at rest". She just smiled. I asked the woman how much ground or land went with the house. Turning from me, the woman took me down the little narrow road that we were standing on, in front of the house. She took me a good ways, what seemed like a mile or more, in a second of time. From here we could see a great distance. She showed me a very large parcel of land. Some parts of the land had large fields or woods or a little of both, but all were beautiful. Then she pointed to another parcel of land. There were many acres before me. The woman said, "See that parcel of ground?" I answered, "Yes, I do". She said at the time of the Civil War all this land was lost, it was sold. She said the other owner of the land plowed this field, sowed his seed and brought forth their own crops. (As Jesus said the devil did in Matthew 13.) She said, "This part of the inheritance was sold (Esau sold his birthright by walking after the flesh) but, this land, this possession, shall be redeemed and returned shortly". (The latter rain will bring the renewal.) It will be brought back; it will again become part of the inheritance of this house. I asked the woman, "Did the Civil War, this rebellion, cause much bloodshed and even death here?" The woman answered, "Yes, to many". (Unforgiveness, rebellion, hatred, anger, fighting, sells our birthright, our inheritance, our land. Also, there is a civil war in our day being spoken of: {Gal.5:17} For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. Many have lost ground in this civil war because of giving ground to the lusts of the flesh. Jesus redeemed all that was lost and Joel said it would all be restored in the end.)

Printer-friendly version